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February 19 Daily Devotional

(Monthly Theme: Living with God)

Laughter of Unbelief

Rev. Andrew Kuyvenhoven

"Then the LORD said to Abraham: 'Why did Sarah laugh and say, "Will I really have a child, now that I am old?" Is anything too hard for the LORD?' " —Genesis 18:13-14

Bible Reading

GENESIS 18:9-15

Devotional

For twenty-five years Abraham and Sarah had been on their way with God. During all this time they had carried their burden of grief: they had no children.

Eight times the Bible says God comforted them by repeating his promise. This promise concerning the child was at first very general and became more and more specific as time went on. At first God spoke in broad terms, when he said that Abraham would have many descendants (12:3, 7; 13:6). Then Abraham began to think that God might want to count Abraham's descendants through his servant Eliezer. At that time the promise became more pointed: "This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir" (15:4).

Abraham and Sarah must have discussed the promise nearly every night. They saw that God's Word left room for a son of which Abraham would be the father without Sarah being the mother. Ishmael? But then the promise became even more specific: "Yes, but your wife will bear you a son" (17:19).

And God Almighty, who would later send an angel to Mary to announce the birth of Jesus, came himself to Sarah to say that "this time next year" the promised son would be born (18:10).

Then Sarah laughed.

Don't be too quick to condemn Sarah for her unbelieving, desperate laughter. Every person who takes God seriously and yet has to bear a burden day after day, year after year, will fall down sometime. She or he will cry and laugh in bitter unbelief. May God forgive us for those moments when we become cynical because his Word seems too good to believe, in a life that is too hard to bear. Only those who do not really believe don't have a struggle and never fall down.

Is anything too hard for the Lord? Anything?

REFLECTIONS

Where in your life do you need to hear God say, "Is anything too hard for the Lord?"


Andrew Kuyvenhoven's Daylight, a modern devotional classic, was originally published by Paideia Press in 1977. This updated edition is copyright 2009 by Faith Alive Christian Resources. You can order a copy of this revised version of the book directly from the publisher.

A man of many accomplishments, Andrew Kuyvenhoven is probably best known for his contributions to Today (formerly The Family Altar), a widely-used monthly devotional booklet associated with the Back to God Hour. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations for this updated edition of Daylight are from the Holy Bible: Today's New International Version copyright 2001, 2005 by the International Bible Society.

 

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